Kale on the left? Spinach on the right??

seagrass

Thanks, Seagrass. I don't think it's spinach, the leaves don't look like it. But I guess the other one could be Kale? The Kale I buy from the store is a lot curlier though. I am posting a couple more close up pics.

The ones on the right look like beet leaves. Sorry, not too much help here.
Jo

Thanks Jojoco, but they're not beets, they have long thin roots. I am going to call the co-op tomorrow and try to find out, and suggest they list the produce they include.

Actually, the ones on the right look like collards to me, the ones that I "thin out" in the spring...

the first one looks like kale to me too.

Annie

Looks like kale from where I sit, too. And that other thing looks like spinach, though I've never seen a baby collard either.

Yes, I bet it's Kale, a less curly variety than I'm used to. But the other is not spinach, I tasted it and it tastes sort of peppery/bitter. I sent a pic to the co-op to ID, hopefully they'll know what it is, ha.

Annie, if it's baby collards, how do you like to prepare them? I usually stir fry the big leaves, I guess baby ones could be eaten raw?

I just received a reply, I guess I am not the only night owl. The veggie on the left is kale, and the other - collard greens! Annie, you know your veggies. :o)

Whatever....make a salad and call it good!

Kale is also very, very good in bean/veggie soups!!
I've never eaten collards, but would try them in soup, fresh in salads or sauteed briefly with a little minced garlic and butter. Greens is greens!!! All good.

Deanna

I sometimes make a soup with butternut squash, kale and white beans. I think I got the recipe from Real Simple. Country Kitchen serves turnip greens cooked with a bit of country ham and apple cider vinegar on the side; it's delish! Maybe the same would work with collard greens?

Hub hates collard greens, but maybe throwing them in a salad would work. Kale, I buy a lot and sautee in olive oil with garlic. This kale looks totally different from the store kale though, not nearly as frilly. Must be a different variety.

I have never had collards that weren't cooked for a longtime. They are not a quick cooking green. I have never seen them in a salad ever but then I also hate their flavor.
Really the only green I dislike but some people adore them.

I don't much care for collards either, though I don't hate them as much as hub. But this week I am stuck with them, so have to figure out what to use them for. Might just blanch and freeze them to throw in soup next winter.

They look like, as annie says "
thinnings"....try them in a salad...
I know lots of people who can't stand cooked spinach but like it raw, or cooked broccoli but like it raw...
Just take a few tender leaves and add some dressing and see.

I love collard greens that are steamed for a few minutes. I didn't think I would until I tried a piece and I was surprised at how much I liked it. I sprinkled a little tamari on it and it was delicious with rice. I think I ate a whole pound for dinner like that. :)

I make something called "greens and beans" which is whatever green I'm into at the moment sauteed with EVOO and a bit of onion, a can of chopped stewed tomatoes, a can of whatever bean I'm into at the moment (roughly two cups). With collards I'd probably use blackeyed peas or navy or great northerns. Season with whatever seasoning you're into at the moment--oregano, cumin, garlic and chili makes it Mexican/S. American, and oregano, basil and a pinch of thyme and fennel and garlic makes it Italian, and rosemary and marjoram and garlic and a pinch of thyme makes it French. Simmer this mixture until the collards are tender. Add water or V-8 juice or broth if it starts to dry up or stick. Top with whatever cheese you're into at the moment, I usually use parmesean or shredded mixed cheese Mexican style. Since collards may still be a little wonky for your taste, can add some sauteed ham or bacon or pancetta and/or a dash of balsamic vinegar or some red wine. You can serve this stew over brown rice for a complete meal. If going Mexican style, maybe add a little corn for a complete fiesta of color. Or summer squash or butternut squash. You can also make it brothy and make soup with any of the above ingredients.

Also, try braising collards with onion and apples or some raisins. Works like a charm for cabbage.

Lpink, that's the only way I prepare red cabbage. Wouldn't have thought to try it for collards.

Lindac, I guess I will throw a few leaves in the salad tonight and see what happens. :o)

Chi, if the salad doesn't work out, I'll try your way. ;)

I'm also accustomed to long-cooked collards, usually with a piece of smoked pork or turkey in the pot. Collards can be a little bitter, I've even been known to toss a tablespoon full of sugar into the pot if Ashley is going to eat them.

The small ones are not as coarse as the bigger ones, and so I wouldn't bother to remove the stem, which I'd do with bigger ones. A quick stir fry to wilt might be enough if they are small and tender enough.

I've never met a green I didn't like, and now you have me thinking of white bean and kale soup, very yummy, and warm cornbread with a side of collard greens.

Annie

Since greens are really healthy, I am determined to find an edible way to prepare the collards. I'll try your sugar trick if they turn out too bitter. :o)

Couple of strategies to offset the bitterness of greens:
Go with the flow and make them sweet and sour, using tomatoes, vinegar and sweetener of choice.
Pair with sweet bland veggies like winter squashes, corn and beans.
Pair with cheese stuff.

Just general ideas, but stuffed chard leaves, squash soup with beet greens, spinach pie, etc. are all riffs on those ideas. If I was doing the "beans and greens" with collards, I'd use something smokey in the mix, in my case fake sausage or fake bacon bits, blackeyed peas, garlic and pinch of thyme and shot of tobasco to taste. Serve over rice. Or I'd cook them up with the tomatoes, some rasins, etc, and serve with something with sour cream and potatoes, either just straight up baked or boiled, gnocci, pierogis, you get the picture.

Yes, that would likely offset the bitter taste. Kale also has sort of a bitter taste, but strangely, neither hub nor I mind it. For some reason, collard greens aren't that tasty to either one of us though. I wonder if a little cream cheese stirred into the collard greens would help. That's great in spinach, might work with collards too.

I'm a good southern girl and was raised on slow-cooked collards, always with some form of pork fat in copious amounts, but my sister recently taught me to just stir fry chopped collard leaves in a little oil with some garlic and a bit of salt. For the older leaves, wilt them down, add a little chicken broth, and put on a lid so they steam briefly and become tender. I suspect you could do the same with the young ones without the steaming. Either way, they are delish.

petra, let me be more specific, I'd remove the stems at the bottom of the leaf, but I wouldn't cut out the stem that runs though the leaf itself. I mostly remove that big stem from large collards, but I'd leave it there in the small ones.

Annie

Thanks, Slowlane and Annie. Slowlane, that's how I usually prepare Kale, with lots of garlic. :o)
Annie, I'll do that. The leaves are really small and tender, maybe that will make them less bitter too.

We had sausages and a mess of greens for dinner. :o)
I chopped up both kale and collard greens, sauteed garlic in olive oil and added the greens. They turned out very tasty (hubby is not a major greens fan, but he liked them too) and garlicky. Can't breathe on anyone for a while. :)